New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

What does Broody hen mean?

post #1 of 7
6/16/10 at 10:47am
Thread Starter 

I am new and I know some of you might think this is a stupid question but I am wondering what the term Broody hen means?

"A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor".
Reply
"A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor".
Reply

Featured Stories on BackYard Chickens

Why Join BackYard Chickens?
The Basics Of Raising Chickens - Raising Chickens 101
Have you ever wondered how a hen can lay an egg every day?
post #2 of 7
6/16/10 at 10:53am

a broody hen is a hen who has decided she wants to become a momma.

It means she'll start sitting on her eggs, become a bit evil, and protect her babies like a velociraptor.

Laree 
Giving you the stink-eye.  Yeah, you.   

Reply

Laree 
Giving you the stink-eye.  Yeah, you.   

Reply
post #3 of 7
6/16/10 at 10:56am

A broody is a hen who decides to sit on something (doesn't necessarily need to be eggs- some types of birds will try to hatch a golf ball!) and try to hatch it out. typically it takes 21 days for eggs to hatch, but sometimes a hen will sit for far longer. She wont like people touching her, and may become rather mean if you try to.

“God is God. Because he is God, He is worthy of my trust and obedience. I will find rest nowhere but in His holy will that is unspeakably beyond my largest notions of what he is up to.” - Elisabeth Elliot

 

Catholic teen, living in my orange house with ten siblings, a dog, four cats, and more chickens than I can count! 

 

Reply

“God is God. Because he is God, He is worthy of my trust and obedience. I will find rest nowhere but in His holy will that is unspeakably beyond my largest notions of what he is up to.” - Elisabeth Elliot

 

Catholic teen, living in my orange house with ten siblings, a dog, four cats, and more chickens than I can count! 

 

Reply
post #4 of 7
6/16/10 at 10:58am

And it appears to be hormonally or instinctually driven, this urge to nest...

Caretaker of a lovely mixed flock including: australorp, plymouth rocks, wyandotte, d'uccles, silkies, EEs, andalusian, and a few seramas, plus a golden retriever, great dane, and three cats.
R.I.P. Bear 2010 - "The Best Dog Ever"

Reply

Caretaker of a lovely mixed flock including: australorp, plymouth rocks, wyandotte, d'uccles, silkies, EEs, andalusian, and a few seramas, plus a golden retriever, great dane, and three cats.
R.I.P. Bear 2010 - "The Best Dog Ever"

Reply
post #5 of 7
6/16/10 at 11:00am

I have had many a broody try to hatch a turd.

Good call tanicha.

Laree 
Giving you the stink-eye.  Yeah, you.   

Reply

Laree 
Giving you the stink-eye.  Yeah, you.   

Reply
post #6 of 7
6/16/10 at 11:06am
Thread Starter 

hahahahahaha that is hilarious!!!! ok so I got it..that explains why when I was a kid I always thought my grandmothers hens were evil!!! they used to chase me right out of the coop without a single egg!!!!

"A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor".
Reply
"A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor".
Reply
post #7 of 7
6/16/10 at 4:48pm

It means she wants to be a living, breathing egg-incubator.  She wants Bay-Bees!... and she wants them Now!  She is in full-on hormonal instinct and she will sit on and try to hatch absolutely ANYTHING.

One recent BYC post about a broody made me laugh so hard, I almost fell off my chair.  It's called "Broody tries to hatch a Tupperware container"  It's a hoot, here it is. lol
http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=4204007

Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Chicken Behaviors and Egglaying

Featured Stories on BackYard Chickens

Why Join BackYard Chickens?
The Basics Of Raising Chickens - Raising Chickens 101
Have you ever wondered how a hen can lay an egg every day?